LoansLoans.com Domain Name Package on eBay: Legit or Scam?

I have just read a PR Leap press release about an eBay auction for a domain name. According to the seller, half the proceeds of the final auction price for the LoansLoans.com package of domain names (it's packaged with LoansLoans.net and LoansLoans.org) will go towards The American Red Cross. Scam? Maybe. There are a lots of dubious domain name offerings on eBay. Of course, that's not enough to "convict", but let's consider another piece of evidence: The seller claims that,

"LoansLoans.Com, along with the .Net, and .Org versions, has in the past, been appraised at a value of $1 million..."

$1,000,000?! On what planet? I personally wouldn't appraise LoansLoans.com for more than $500, and I don't think any experienced domainer would argue with me. This auction is starting to get an odd smell about it.

And look what I found: there's an AfterNIC appraisal for the name, completed on June 4, 2005. AfterNIC tends to be generous with their appraisals, and they appraised the potential market value of the name @ $2,900. Hmmm...

But it would seem that the seller is in fact committed to giving half the money from sale to charity, as the auction is officially listed under eBay's "Giving Works" program. Interesting.

But I still smell a dead fish here. Perhaps this is not an outright scam, but an elaborate ploy designed to boost the sale price for this domain name by attaching the auction to a worthy charity. An interesting tactic: divert the buyers' attention away from the fact that the domain name is overpriced by linking the auction to a charitable cause.

I'll be keeping my eye on this one...

FYI: The heading for the PR Leap press release is, "TOP DOMAIN NAME AUCTIONED on EBAY for HURRICANE VICTIMS"

--> www.FedPrimeRate.com Privacy Policy <-- >  SITEMAP  <